Jiang Tianyi, together with the staff members of the General Staff Section, began to evaluate the military merits of the scholars and students who participated in the Northern Expedition, and then determined their military ranks based on their military merits.
This matter involved more than 3,000 scholars and more than 6,000 imperial students.
Of course, such a large workload cannot be completed in a few days.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a month has passed, and the time has come to mid-July of the 22nd year of Chongzhen, 1649.
After half a month of traveling day and night, businessmen such as Zheng Zunrang, Shi Jiuke, Weng Zhili and others finally arrived in Beijing first. At this time, Lu Zhenfei and thousands of officials had just passed Xuzhou.
After arriving in Beijing, a group of businessmen came to pay homage to Chongzhen at the Altar of the Sun without even washing away the dust from their bodies.
Looking at the hundreds of merchants gathered at the Asahitan military camp, Chongzhen said to himself that indeed, only profit is the most powerful driving force. These merchants just smelled a little fishy smell and came to Beijing day and night.
"Have you all read the prospectus of the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Do you have anything to ask?"
As soon as Chongzhen finished speaking, Zheng Zunrang and Shi Jiuke raised their right hands at the same time.
Chongzhen pointed at Zheng Zunrang and said, "Shopkeeper Zheng, you'd better ask first."
Zheng Zunrang immediately stood up and asked: "Is the railway transportation company mentioned in the prospectus limited to operating the railways between Beijing and Beijing, or does it also operate all railways in the territory of Ming Dynasty?"
"This is an option." Chongzhen said with a smile.
"As long as you are willing, the railway transport company name will be the railway transport company number."
"If you don't want to, it will just be a railway transportation company between the two capitals."
The hundreds of businessmen present here suddenly looked at each other. How could such a good thing exist in the world?
However, as businessmen, these merchants know that no meal can be eaten in vain.
At that moment, Zheng Zunrang asked again: "If it is a railway transportation number, what will it cost?"
As a businessman after all, you know very well that getting more benefits will definitely cost you more in exchange.
At that moment, Chongzhen said with a smile: "The price paid is to bear the construction cost of the new railway line."
"For example, the railway to the Western Regions mentioned in the prospectus?" Zheng Zunrang asked again, "The Yunxi Railway that spans the future territory of the Ming Dynasty and has a total mileage of nearly ten thousand miles?"
"Yes, for example, Yunxi Railway."
Chongzhen said: "For the 50 million yuan construction cost of the Beijing-Beijing Railway, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will actually pay 15 million yuan, accounting for 30% of the shares. The remaining 70% of the shares will be freely bid by everyone here, and the railway will be completed and put into operation.
Afterwards, the income earned will be divided into dividends according to the number of shares. Of course, operating costs must be factored out first.”
After a pause, he added: "If it is just a railway transportation company between Beijing and Beijing, all dividends will be paid out in full, but if you choose to upgrade to the Ming Dynasty Railway Transportation Company, you can only take away 10% of the dividends every year, and the remaining 90% will be rolled out as bonuses."
The capital invested in the general company will be used to build the next railway line, such as the Yunxi Railway spanning thousands of miles."
Zheng Zunrang, Shi Jiuke, and several Yangzhou salt merchants discussed it for a while and said: "Your Majesty, then we choose to upgrade to the Ming Dynasty Railway Transportation General Number. Only long-term and steady flow is the way to do business."
Upgrading to the Ming Dynasty Railway Transport Company, although it requires sacrificing temporary profits, will definitely make a profit in the long run, because there will be many railways in Daming in the future, and the profits of the Daming Railway Transport Company will be extremely considerable, far from
The profit of a railway between Beijing and Beijing can be compared.
So this is not a multiple choice question at all.
Anyone with a normal mind would choose the slow and steady flow.
Chongzhen was not surprised by the merchant's choice.
Chongzhen was also happy to see merchants choose the long-term strategy, because it meant that the Daming Railway Transport Company would have more capital for railway construction.
Railway construction in Ming Dynasty will be faster.
"Very good." Chongzhen smiled and asked, "Shopkeeper Shi, what's your question?"
Shi Jiuke stood up and asked: "I heard that the Jiannu who were captured in the Battle of Baliqiao practiced bravery, and the Eight Banners Han Army and the Eight Banners Mongolia were sent to build the Beijing-Beijing Railway. My question is whether the Ming Dynasty Railway Transport Headquarters is needed
Pay wages for these prisoners of war?”
"Of course they need to be paid," Chongzhen said. "These prisoners of war are equivalent to the laborers sent by the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the Daming Railway Transport Company. Of course, the Railway Transport Company needs to pay a corresponding amount of wages to the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
Shi Jiuke and Zheng Zunrang looked at each other and said to themselves that there really is no free labor in the world.
However, Shi Jiuke still wanted to fight for it and asked: "Your Majesty, there is still a difference between prisoners of war and real laborers. They can't be paid the same wages, right?"
"This matter can be discussed." Chongzhen pondered for a moment and then said, "Then let's consider it half price."
"Your Majesty is righteous." Hundreds of merchants attending the meeting were overjoyed. This saved half of their wages.
Chongzhen then asked: "Masters, do you have any other questions to ask?"
"Your Majesty, there is no problem." Zheng Zunrang replied impatiently, "Hurry up and start bidding."
"I will no longer participate in the share bidding." After saying this, Chongzhen turned his attention to Weng Zhiren and another Yangzhou salt merchant named Sun Shouting, and continued, "Shopkeeper Weng, shopkeeper Sun, let's talk in another place."
Weng Zhiren and Sun Shouting quickly stood up and followed Chongzhen away. Zheng Zunrang, Shi Jiuke and other hundreds of businessmen began to bid for shares under the auspices of Li Kaixian from the Prospectus Department.
Chongzhen took Weng Zhiren and Sun Shouting to the Chaoyang Gate Tower.
Weng Zhiren is the younger brother of Weng Zhiyi, a great salt merchant in Yangzhou, and is now the boss of Daming Machinery Factory.
Sun Shouting was also one of the salt merchants in Yangzhou before, and now he is the boss of Daming Construction Workshop. Sun Shouting is responsible for Nanjing's urban infrastructure and real estate industry.
Chongzhen summoned Sun Shouting to Beijing because he wanted him to build a new Beijing.
Needless to say, Beijing's urban infrastructure at this time was extremely poor.
Most of the streets in the city are not paved with stone slabs, making them muddy and difficult to navigate on rainy days.
Moreover, there are no sewage pipes designed. The inner city is better. Residents in the outer city actually dump domestic sewage into the streets at will. On sunny days, sewage flows across the street and the stench rises into the sky. On rainy days, it becomes even more sour.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! The original Chongzhen also hated all this, but he could never find the money to rectify it.
As a time traveler, Chongzhen would naturally not tolerate such a city appearance. This was the capital city.
At that moment, Chongzhen asked Sun Shouting: "Shopkeeper Sun, is the city of Beijing spectacular? Is Chaoyangmen Street spectacular?"
Sun Shouting hurriedly said: "The city of Beijing is naturally spectacular, and Chaoyangmen Street is the highlight of Beijing. The street scene is magnificent and prosperous only second to Zhengyangmen Street. It can be said to be the best in the world."
Chongzhen shook his head and said: "But after all, it's just the surface of horse dung eggs."
Sun Shouting understood Chongzhen's thoughts in an instant, and continued: "What the Holy Spirit said is absolutely true. Although Beijing is spectacular and the street scene is prosperous, it has three major shortcomings. One is the streets and alleys, the other is drainage, and the third is the residential buildings in the outer city.
It disrupts the architectural style and seriously encroaches on the streets and lanes, making it inconvenient for traffic and especially troublesome in the event of a fire."
Chongzhen asked directly: "I want to build a new Beijing. Does Shopkeeper Sun dare to take over?"
Sun Shouting did not respond immediately. He frowned and said, "There are three difficulties here."
"Say." Chongzhen had already expected this, and added, "I will try my best to solve it for you."
Sun Shouting said: "The first difficulty is the demolition of private houses. Whether it is widening and strengthening streets or laying drainage pipes, a large number of houses need to be demolished. I am only a businessman, so I'm afraid..."
"There is no need to worry about this matter, just dismantle it." Chongzhen said in an awkward tone.
"Not only the residential buildings that are blocked from renovation, but also those built privately and randomly will be demolished."
Now is the right time to carry out new city reconstruction, because at this time, almost all the "residents" in Beijing are criminals. Needless to say, the Manchus in the inner city, and the residents in the outer city are all surrendered generals, Erchen Lianyong or Mongolians.
They would not dare to say anything about a person's family documents or maids and slaves, even if they really demolished the house.
What's more, Chongzhen didn't intend to make things happen.
All the houses and land in the inner and outer cities will be confiscated, that's for sure.
However, Chongzhen would still divide two areas within Guangqumen and Guang'anmen, and let Sun Shouting build a large number of resettlement bungalows to accommodate the families of these surrendered generals and their brave warriors.
Sun Shouting added: "The second difficulty is labor. Such a large reconstruction project will be difficult to complete without more than 100,000 laborers and more than three years."
"There is no need to worry about this." Chongzhen said with a smile.
"I will give you 200,000 laborers at half price, is that enough?"
"Ah?" Sun Shouting said doubtfully, "Will this affect the construction of the railway?"
"You don't need to worry about this matter. You only need to consider the reconstruction of Beijing." After saying this, Chongzhen asked again, "What is the third difficulty?"
"The third difficulty is money."
Sun Shouting said with some embarrassment: "Your Majesty, you know that the Ming Dynasty Construction Workshop is responsible for the construction of Nanjing and has invested a huge amount of money in this effort. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is suppressing the increase in house prices, so the proceeds from the sale of the house can only barely keep the operation going.
, there is really no money in Daming Construction Workshop’s account now.”
The lack of money for urban infrastructure is indeed a huge problem.
The simplest way is to speculate on land prices, then sell the land at sky-high prices, then invest in urban infrastructure after raising the money, forming a cycle of using land to support construction. However, this will bring about a serious hidden danger, which is to turn the real estate industry into a parasitic monster.
This will lead to serious deformities in economic development.
Therefore, Chongzhen was very reluctant to open this hole.
It seems that it is time to issue industrial stocks.
After treasury bonds and industrial bonds, industrial stocks will finally be promoted.
At that moment, Chongzhen said: "We can consider issuing shares in the two cities to raise funds."
Sun Shouting smiled bitterly and said: "Your Majesty, Daming Infrastructure Workshop has already issued two bonds. If there is no large income guarantee, the Ministry of Internal Affairs will probably not approve the issuance of the third bond."
Chongzhen shook his head: "I'm talking about stocks, not bonds."
Sun Shouting said: "Stocks are not bonds?"
A few words about the military system. The Ming Army is not a modern army, but a modern army in the fusillade era. The smallest combat unit in the book is the brigade level, so only the brigade level will be equipped with logistics units and staff as standard to carry out independent combat tasks.
Sometimes, medical, guard and scout units will also be temporarily equipped. Below the regiment level, there are only chief and deputy chief officers plus eight messengers and service personnel]
